Ansys Cloud Direct
On-Demand Simulation Service and HPC
Access Simulation Resources When Needed, As Much As You Need
Combine flexible licensing with optional on-cloud preprocessing, solving and results proprocessing. Within Ansys Cloud Direct, you can easily access HPC in the cloud directly — without the need for any additional setup. Access the hardware and software you need, when you need it — pay only for what you use.
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Ansys Cloud Direct ensures engineering simulation is NOT constrained by fixed hardware and license resources, offering on-demand, high-performance computing (HPC) and elastic licensing for faster high-fidelity results offering greater performance
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Introducing Ansys Elastic Licensing
ANSYS Elastic Licensing is a flexible, pay-per-use licensing model that enables hourly based licensing for software, computing power and hardware. It complements and augments the value of other licensing solutions, removing access barriers like the number of users, product access and HPC capacity.
Cloud Capabilities
Built-in Cloud HPC Access
With Built-in cloud HPC access, Ansys Cloud Direct delivers easy access to on-demand high-performance computing resources from within your Ansys environment. Using your Ansys software, prepare your simulation models on your desktop. Simply select a preconfigured hardware configuration, then submit your jobs directly to the cloud. You won’t have to wait in HPC cluster queues or reduce your model size to fit desktop constraints. Job progress may be monitored from your desktop or through a web-based cloud portal.
Ansys Cloud Direct is optimized for Ansys solvers. As an Ansys Mechanical, Ansys Fluent or Ansys Electronics Desktop user, you can easily access Ansys Cloud Direct without involving your information technology team. By eliminating the need for complex software installations or cloud-side setups, you can focus on solving your engineering problems. And, without having to build in-house solutions or rely on third-party vendors, you can avoid costly upfront investment and delays.
Ansys Cloud Direct is a ready-to-use, proven solution that is fully supported by Ansys HPC and solver experts.
![Built in HPC Access](/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/built-in-hpc-access.jpg)
Full Remote Desktop Experience
Ansys Cloud Direct’s virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) delivers workstation-class performance to any computer with an internet connection. Access complete installations of Mechanical, Fluent or Electronics Desktop via a remote desktop connection, to harness additional computing power for pre- and post-processing activities and eliminate the need to transfer data to and from the cloud.
With VDI, Ansys Cloud Direct enables a full end-to-end cloud-based workflow. This is the future of simulation.
![Ansys Cloud ready to use](/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ansys-cloud-ready-to-use-400x230-1.png)
Completely Secure Workflows
Ansys Cloud Direct provides a highly robust and completely secure environment for running simulations in the cloud. At the Microsoft® Azure™ data centers, where simulations are run and data are stored, access is strictly controlled. The solution combines Azure’s best practices with custom encryption for added security. Both data at rest and in motion are encrypted
Leveraging Azure™ Virtual Networks, Ansys Cloud offers a separate, secure network architecture for each customer: Only you can access your data.
The complete system architecture has undergone comprehensive testing, including detailed penetration testing. Because new security threats emerge continuously, the solution’s security is regularly audited by a third party.
![Ansys Cloud Secure Workflows](/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ansys-cloud-secure-workflows-400x230-1.png)
Economical On-Demand Pricing
Pay-per-use access to both cloud hardware and Ansys software is available on Microsoft Azure and enabled through Ansys Elastic Licensing. Rather than locking into a long-term lease, you can purchase a pool of Ansys Elastic Units (AEUs) based on your short-term cloud-computing needs. You can also connect your existing licenses to Ansys Cloud Direct to leverage your current investment in Ansys software, while using AEUs to pay for on-demand hardware and additional software when needed.
How does this work? Using your existing licenses, prepare your model using your on-premise hardware. When you submit your simulation job for analysis in the cloud, use your pool of AEUs for your on-demand hardware. Alternatively, using Ansys Cloud’s VDI, you can access workstation-class hardware in the cloud to prepare your model and/or post-process your results interactively. This gives you the best of both worlds depending on your needs.
AEUs are consumed at a specified hourly rate that varies with the choice of hardware configuration and solver type. The consumption rate for Ansys software can be found in the Ansys Elastic Licensing Software Consumption Rate Table, while hardware rates can be found in the Ansys Elastic Licensing Hardware Consumption Rate Table.
Your pool of AEUs (shared with others in your organisation) is charged based on your cloud runtime (in fractions of an hour). Consumption of AEUs may be tracked using the Elastic Licensing portal, which is accessed via a desktop or mobile web browser. With this combination of traditional licensing (leased and paid-up for steady workflows) and pay-per-use licensing (for in-cloud, flexible capacity), you can optimize your company’s investment in simulation.
![Ansys Cloud Economical on demand Pricing](/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ansys-cloud-economical-on-demand-pricing.jpg)
Job Monitoring
Easily monitor the progress of your simulation from within the desktop installation of Mechanical and Fluent or from a web-based cloud portal. Job monitoring tools provide full access to the solver transcript, a graphical view of convergence parameters and real-time access to debug information when help is needed.
You can also view a summary of your simulation jobs via a web-based cloud portal, which can be accessed from your desktop or mobile device. Using the cloud portal, you can track total consumption of AEUs and even share your simulation jobs with your peers and Ansys support.
![Ansys Cloud Remote Job Monitoring](/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ansys-cloud-remote-job-monitoring.jpg)
Cloud-based 3D Results Visualization
With Ansys Cloud Direct, you can review and validate the results of your simulations while your data are in the cloud. Innovative post-processing technology leaves the heavy data in the cloud, transferring only requested information to you for 3D rendering in your web browser via custom post-processing tools — to deliver performance that is unmatched for all size models.
You can plot scalar and vector fields and visualize results on existing parts, planes, isosurfaces and isovolumes. When needed, download the data to your desktop for detailed post-processing using your familiar desktop applications. Alternatively, you can also perform full post-processing directly in the cloud using the VDI environment to access workstation-class performance and full Ansys software capabilities, without having to transfer any data at all.
![Ansys Cloud Optimized Cloud Performance](/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ansys-cloud-optimised-cloud-performance.jpg)
Cloud Demos
Using Ansys Cloud Direct with Ansys Fluent
Watch this brief demonstration of Ansys Cloud, the Ansys-managed cloud service developed in collaboration with Microsoft Azure. It provides on-demand access to high-performance computing (HPC) directly from within Ansys Mechanical and Ansys Fluent.
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Using Ansys Cloud Direct with Ansys Discovery
Learn how to use Ansys Discovery on Ansys Cloud by running an interactive in-browser session. Ansys Cloud is now offering cloud-based engineering simulation with more power, more flexibility and more performance. Additionally, it enables more multiphysics on Discovery and provides better workflow and support.
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Elastic Licensing
Sometimes you need more: more software, computing power, hardware and time. Ansys Elastic Licensing offers access to all these assets, right when you need them — during peak times or when that important project is due.
You can purchase packages of Ansys Elastic Units (AEUs) based on your short-term needs. AEUs work with existing lease and perpetual licenses and allow capacity to be added as needed. AEUs are flexible: They can be used with products across the Ansys portfolio and utilised with on-premise or cloud computing resources.
Ansys Elastic Units are easy-to-use and can be “spent” when needed. The Elastic Licensing portal tracks AEU activity, so you can see which products are being used by whom. With this data, you can make more informed software purchasing decisions.
Prepaid, usage-based licensing
You know you’ll need more simulation resources, but you aren’t sure when. AEUs are easy to buy in packages of predetermined sizes and can be spent when performing simulations. Each simulation step (geometry, pre- and post-processing, solution and optimisation, etc.) and access to high-performance computing (HPC) or cloud hardware costs a specific number of AEUs per hour. If utilisation time is less than an hour, the unused AEU fractions are credited.
Access across the ANSYS portfolio
You can access most Ansys flagship products – and a significant number of other products – using AEUs. AEUs are especially helpful when you need new software to solve an unexpected problem, perform a more in-depth analysis or require additional access to an in-use product.
Occasional use
AEUs are ideal in cases where investment in a product or more HPC makes little sense (e.g., when usage needs are infrequent or existing licenses are unavailable to meet immediate needs). They allow users working simultaneously to access more software.
Peak capacity
AEUs offer additional software access and high-performance computing capacity that can be accessed after existing licenses (leased and owned) are already in use.
On-premise and in the cloud
AEUs support on-premise and cloud HPC computing, as well as hybrid solutions that employ both. AEUs can be used to pay for software when working with cloud-hosting partners and for both software and hardware when using Ansys Cloud Direct. Check with the cloud hardware partner of your choice for support.
Monitor usage
Use a web portal to access detailed AEU consumption data that can facilitate buying decisions and internal billing of AEUs. You can determine AEU spend, by user and product, in time for the next buying cycle.
Customer stories
View all customer stories – AnsysRelated products
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